Jenny Han is the author of nearly a dozen young adult and children’s books, but you likely know her best because she dreamed up Peter Kavinsky and Lara Jean Covey—the high school couple at the center of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. The best-seller’s adaptation for Netflix, which Han executive produced, was such a smash hit that a sequel came out this month, with the final film in the trilogy on the way.

While working on the films, Han found herself flying back and forth often between her home in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. We spoke to her about the next trips she’s planning, the snack foods she’s always packing, and the advice she wishes hotels would take.

Her packing strategy:Usually, I have a list of things I always bring with me if I’m staying in a hotel, and then a list when I’m not staying in a hotel. But packing cubes are definitely one of the fundamentals to keep things organized, because often times I’ll have multiple legs on a trip, so it’s good to separate things. I have toiletry bags for cosmetics, for skin care, and then one is dental hygiene.

How early she arrives at the airport:I leave my house two hours before. I live on the edge a little bit. It makes you feel alive, Home Alone–style. Because I now have Clear, my life is a lot simpler in that there's never a line. That's an extravagance that has made my life a lot easier. I hit Diamond status with Delta last year, and now I can use the lounge whenever I want. So I will usually just have a little snack in there and then hang around until I have to go board.

What’s in her carry-on bag:I've got my antibacterial hand wipes, which I then like to flick all over the seat and everything, especially these days. I always carry my little baby pillow, which is just a literal pillow for babies that people would put on the bed as a decorative pillow, but it's a perfect size for when you're traveling, because you can hold it in your arms or put it behind your head. I always carry some some nice tea bags—oftentimes hotels have like, free tea bags. Hand cream, an external battery for my phone that's charged up. I always carry toothbrush and toothpaste, because you never know. You might want to freshen up once you land. Laptop, a magazine. And what am I reading? I'm lucky because as a writer, all of my friends are writers, so I get a lot of advanced reader copies of books I'm excited about. What I'm reading right now is called Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman.

Why she’s always packing snacks:I carry almond butter, because sometimes the hotel will have a bowl of apples at reception, and I tend to be at a hotel for a week at a time. I don't want to have a full-on breakfast every morning; sometimes you just want something really light. I'll be perfectly sustained if I have this little travel packet of Justin's almond butter and then put it on an apple. It's something I learned recently. I would find myself not eating until like 1:00 p.m., and I'm like, “I've had three meetings and I'm starving.” I can eat it in an Uber on the way to the meeting. I also have one of those fruit jerkies in my bag, too. It’s just emergency stuff, because I’d obviously rather have Shake Shack if it’s there. But what if you're grounded on a flight for two hours, and you can't get up? Then you go, “I have this pineapple jerky in my bag that looks gross, but it does the job.”

The travel behavior that gets on her nerves:I think that people can stand to be more aware of how much space they take up, both literally and figuratively. Obviously, man-spreading is a thing, but also I think you shouldn't be listening to music or watching stuff without your headphones on. I've seen that more and more, especially around the gate. And I think people can be very pushy about getting off and on the plane. It's [about] being mindful that there are people who are elderly or people with disabilities. You don't need to be pushing. If you have to make a connecting flight, okay, sure. But I think most times it's not really for a connecting flight. You just want to get off the plane.

The best vacation she’s ever taken:One of my favorite trips I've ever taken is to Vietnam with my best friend. Ho Chi Minh City just really charmed me. It was beautiful and the food was so great and the people were so warm. I think it is truly one of the most beautiful countries in Asia.

Where she gets her best writing done:I think England is one of my favorite spots for writing retreats, because they have such adorable, charming cottages that you can rent in the Cotswolds or around Dover. It really is just like that movie with Kate Winslet, The Holiday.

The country that’s next on her list:I dream about going to Greece, because I've never been. It's in the works, but I've been really slammed this year with the new movie coming out, and I haven't had time to plan. I'm a big planner. I spend months in advance looking at every single listing for a house or hotel. I'm looking at all the hotel reviews, wanting everything to be just so.

Her favorite part of a hotel stay:I like when the hotel rearranges your toiletries. My favorite thing is that you come back and they are organized.

Her genius ideas for a hotel amenity:I really think that hotels need to start offering buttered popcorn as a thing. I think they can make a lot of money! You could charge $15 for a bowl of popcorn to the room. You want to be cozy in bed and watch a movie. Who can resist a bowl of hot buttered popcorn? You could call it “endless bowl” or something. Popcorn is very cheap. I don't know why hotels don't do it.

I also wish that hotels would provide white-noise machines. I have to request one when I go, but rarely does anyone ever [provide] one.

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